Science

Flowering plants (angiosperms) are the most diverse of all land plants, becoming abundant in the Cretaceous period (145 to 66 million years ago) and achieving dominance in the Cenozoic (66 million years ago-present). However, the exact timing of their origin remains a controversial topic. To resolve this discrepancy, a team …

New images of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus demonstrate the potential of the helium ion microscopy in bioimaging, especially for the imaging of interactions between viruses and their host organisms. This helium ion microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (blue). Image credit: N. Frese / Bielefeld University. Helium ion microscopy offers the …

  SpaceX already has a number of lucrative contracts with NASA thanks to its reusable Falcon 9 rocket, not least of which is the recently realized Commercial Crew Program. NASA isn’t just using SpaceX for crewed flights, though. The agency has just awarded SpaceX another cargo contract, this one to …

Linear A is a logo-syllabic script used for administrative purposes on Bronze Age Crete. Together with Cretan Hieroglyphic, it is one of two writing systems created by the Minoan civilization. Upon its template, the Mycenaeans later created the Linear B script to register their dialect of ancient Greek. Linear B …

  The 20th century was notable for numerous reasons, not least of which that humanity split the atom. In the remnants of atomic explosions, scientists found never-before-seen elements like einsteinium. Now, almost 70 years after its discovery, scientists have collected enough einsteinium to conduct some basic analysis. Scientists understood that …

Polyphenols, a group of natural compounds found in grapes as well as other fruits and vegetables, are key compounds responsible for ultraviolet (UV)-photoprotection, according to new research. Grapes may help protect against damage to the skin caused by solar UV radiation. Image credit: Bru-nO. “Major grape polyphenols include the flavanols …

The 120,000-year-old animal bone fragment with six incised lines is one of the oldest representations of abstract patterns produced by Middle Paleolithic and Middle Stone Age hominins and the oldest known so far in the Levant. The 120,000-year-old engraved bone with six deliberately produced incisions from the Nesher Ramla site, …

  NASA is still officially planning to land humans on the moon as part of the Artemis program in 2024, but the latest developments at the agency make that timeline look increasingly unrealistic. After previously expecting to move forward with the development of commercial lunar landers this month, NASA has …

  The history of civilian human spaceflight is brief, but SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is going to have to change that if he’s ever going to realize his dream of colonizing Mars. We’re not there yet, but SpaceX is taking a step in that direction announcing the first all-civilian spaceflight. …

  The potential discovery of phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere last year made headlines around the world. On Earth, phosphine is produced by living things. Any detection of it inside another planet’s atmosphere would be a strong potential indicator of life. One reason folks got excited about the possibility is that …